More than a hundred thousand people marched this Sunday, October 25 in the capital of Belarus against President Alexander Lukashenko, who did not give in to the opposition's ultimatum set today for him to withdraw, otherwise she will call for a general strike on Monday.
Read also: Belarus: the opposition "will not stop" even if the strike fails, promises Tikhanovskaïa
The Belarusian opposition demands the departure of Lukashenko, 66, in power since 1994, since the presidential election deemed fraudulent on August 9.
The protest movement has since come under constant pressure from the authorities, which has resulted in the detention or exile abroad of all its main figures.
Stun grenades were used by law enforcement on Sunday to disperse protesters and mass arrests were underway, opposition Telegram channels said showing scenes of panic with scores of protesters on the run.
Nearly 100 people were arrested in the early evening, according to the human rights NGO Vesna.
Read also: Poland, land of asylum for Belarusian opponents
Belarusian opposition figurehead Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, 38, this month issued an ultimatum to Alexander Lukashenko, giving him until Sunday to step down, otherwise she will call for a monster demonstration and a general strike starting Monday.
"Strike!"
In the streets, the demonstrators marched on Sunday chanting “Strike!”.
In her ultimatum set for October 25, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who had to flee the country after the August elections, also called for an end to police pressure and the release of all "
political prisoners
".
The opposition claimed the ballot had been tampered with and Tikhanovskaya claimed the victory.
From Lithuania where she has taken refuge, and with the support of several Western leaders, she calls for new elections.
Read also: Belarus: the opponent Tikhanovskaïa issues an ultimatum to President Lukashenko
During a visit to Copenhagen on Friday, where she met Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod, she called for a new ballot "
as soon as possible
".
In a statement, she then said a date was to be set by the end of the year.
“
I know a lot of people are afraid of losing their jobs,
” she told AFP of the strike call.
"
We do not organize strikes, it is the people who decide for themselves whether they are ready or not
."
In previous strikes, particularly in public enterprises, strikers have come under significant pressure.
"The last day"
Telegram channel NEXTA Live, which is partly coordinating the protest, appealed to its two million subscribers to come together on Sunday for "
the last day of the people's ultimatum
."
After carrying out a brutal crackdown in the days after the elections, authorities warned this month that they would fire live ammunition to disperse protesters "
if necessary
".
But tens of thousands of protesters continued to gather across the country regardless, and the traditional women's march against power gathered several hundred in Minsk on Saturday.
Read also: Belarus: Lukashenko meets imprisoned opponents
All Belarusian opposition figures are now detained or in exile abroad.
Since the start of the protest, the crackdown has left at least three dead and dozens injured.
The European Parliament this week awarded the Sakharov Prize for Human Rights to the "
democratic opposition
" to Belarus.
President Alexander Lukashenko has shown him no intention of complying with the demands of his detractors, on the contrary.
While he enjoys the support of Moscow, he is under threat of sanctions from the European Union, which rejected the results of the August 9 election and has already sanctioned 40 regime officials, including the minister. of the Interior and his deputy.
On Saturday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Lukashenko to release an American political adviser, arrested in Belarus before the elections and charged by the Belarusian authorities with organizing actions violating public order.